Resurs DK-1 is a Russian civilian remote sensing craft that was launched by a Soyuz-U rocket from Baikonur at 08:00 UT on 15 June 2006. The 6.8 tonne (with fuel) satellite carries imaging instruments to enable one-meter resolution black & white images or two-meter resolution in color. Unlike earlier missions which captured images on a film and dropped the canisters over Russia, this satellite will downlink the data over selected Russian stations. The status of natural resources, natural disasters, sea-ice conditions, and polar weather will be promptly available to national and international organizations, as well as to private commercial customers. The satellite also carries an Italian cosmic ray monitor, and a Russian instrument to identify probable electromagnetic precursors of earthquakes.